Trent Dalton’s Love Stories
HOTA presents a Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre production
Adapted for the stage by Tim McGarry
Additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann
Directed by Sam Strong

Trent Dalton’s Love Stories
Get ready to fall in love all over again. This restless city has a story to tell.
“I believe in touch. I believe in song. I believe she remembers him. I believe the perfect girl can always meet the perfect boy. I believe we are not alone in the universe”
A father prepares himself for the day he lets go of his daughter’s hand. A young man breaks up with his girlfriend so they can both follow their dreams. A couple play nice in public to hide the fractures at home. A woman rebuilds herself along with a flood-devastated city. A working mum contemplates taking the photographs of her late husband down from the fridge. A grandmother dreams of seeing her grandson’s face. A renowned 100-year-old scientist ponders the one great earthly puzzle he was never able to solve: 'What is love?'
Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, bestselling author – and one of Australia's finest journalists – Trent Dalton spent two months in 2021 gathering stories on his sky-blue 1960s Olivetti typewriter, on a prominent street corner in Brisbane’s CBD. Speaking to Australians from all walks of life, he asked them one simple thing: 'Can you please tell me a love story?'
What followed was Dalton’s unashamedly joyous collection of Love Stories, and the creative team behind the smash-hit page-to-stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe (director Sam Strong and writer Tim McGarry) reuniting to bring to life Dalton’s latest warm, wise, poignant, funny and moving story about love, in all its guises.
“It dives into the chaos of love – the joy, the pain, the laughter. The heartbreak...sending you back to the streets feeling just a little more alive” - The Guardian
Pension $79
Senior $79
HOTA Member $79
Student $79
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#Share your love story at HOTA

To celebrate Trent Dalton’s Love Stories, RAQ invites you to be part of something truly special - Gold Coast Love Stories. Drop by our cozy Love Stories Listening Booth at HOTA before or after the show, and share a moment from your heart. Whether it’s written, spoken, or recorded, your story becomes part of a growing wall of local love, connection, and resilience. Who knows? Your story might inspire someone else to share theirs.
#Credits
Creatives
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories Additional Writing and Story: Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann
Adaptor: Tim McGarry
Director/Dramaturg: Sam Strong
Choreographer, Movement Director and Intimacy Coordinator: Nerida Matthaei
Associate Director: Ngoc Phan
Set & Costume Design: Renee Mulder
Lighting Design: Ben Hughes
Video Design: Craig Wilkinson
Composition & Sound Design: Stephen Francis
Cast
Rashidi Edward - Jean Benoit
Jason Klarwein - Husband
Anna McGahan - Wife
Valerie Bader - Ensemble
Hsin-Ju Ely - Ensemble
Kirk Page - Ensemble
Ngoc Phan - Ensemble
Bryan Probets - Ensemble
Will Tran - Ensemble
Jacob Watton - Ensemble
Antony Dyer - Camera Operator
Production
Production Manager: Chris Goeldner
Company Manager: Pip Loth
Stage Manager: Lucy Kelland
Assistant Stage Manager/Wardrobe: Jasmin Flynn
Sound Operator: Matt Erskine (Sydney)
Sound Operator: Israel Leslie (Tour)
Video Systems Tech: Josh Braithwaite
Lighting Programmer: Tom Broadhurst
General Management by Alex Woodward and Sophie Watkins for Woodward Productions on behalf of Brisbane Festival and QPAC.
#Acknowledgements
Trent Dalton’s Love Stories was originally commissioned and produced by Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre for Brisbane Festival 2024.


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